Posts Tagged ‘colostomy’

In this short video, WCEI Clinical Instructor Joy Hooper, RN, BSN, CWOCN, OMS, WCC uses a simple but powerful visual aid to explain the difference between two stoma configurations: the end stoma and the loop stoma.

There are two main types of stomas, and they both have certain “ideal” characteristics in common. Do you know what they are?

You say potato, I say potahto. You say ostomy, I say … stoma. Huh? Those of us in wound care know that it’s not uncommon to hear the terms ostomy and stoma used interchangeably, even though they have different meanings.

In the WCEI blog, “Let’s Talk Ostomy Types,” we described the types and sub-types of bowel and bladder ostomy surgeries. Now, we’re focusing on an aspect of ostomies that wound care professionals experience directly in practice: the stoma.

A comprehensive guide to the different types of ostomies, including colostomies, ileostomies, and urostomies.

Do you know your ostomy types? There are three kinds of bowel or bladder ostomies, and with this handy guide, you can brush up on each one – including the multiple sub-types. But first, let’s cover the basics.

Ostomy Surgery

Ostomy surgery is a surgical operation that redirects body wastes through a new outside opening, called a stoma. The stoma is a new exit point created to divert feces or urine. In some cases, multiple stomas are created to divert both. The term “ostomy” is used interchangeably by patients to refer to their medical condition, their stoma, and/or the appliance used to collect waste.

Intestinal ostomies are most often performed in conjunction with: tumor removal; to permit repair of bowel injuries; congenital defects; or as a last resort, treatment in medically unmanageable cases of inflammatory bowel diseases. Indications for urinary diversion include: tumor removal; congenital or nerve defects; or injuries that take away voluntary bladder control.

Types of Ostomies

There are three types of bowel or bladder ostomies, along with multiple sub-types: